Machine for automatically applying bottom stops to zipper tapes in one operation



Feb. 21, 1961 z. WEGRZYN 2,972,150

MACHINE FDR AUTOMATICALLY APPLYING BOTTOM STOPS TO ZIPPER TAPES IN ONE OPERATION Filed March 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Fiji. 7i ZENON WEGWZYN Feb. 21, 1961 2. WEGRZYN 2,972,150

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY APPLYING BOTTOM sToPs To ZIPPER TAPES IN ONE OPERATION Filed March 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 2g 2/ I icllfi. 1 w 3,3 'ZENON WEGRZYN a i BY 75 5" bei g ATTORNEY IN V EN TOR.

Feb. 21, 196] z, w z 2,972,150

MACHINE FOR AUT TICAL APPLYING BOTTOM STOPS ZIPPER TAPES IN ONE OPERATION Filed March 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ZENON WEGRZYN W Md ham/5y Feb. 21, 1961 2. WEGRZYN 2,972,150

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY FLYING BOTTOM STOPS T0 ZIPPER A ES IN ONE OPERATION Filed March 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 M32 if 25 1 Jfii'i i ZENON 'Wffiw I A TORNEY United States Patent O MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY APPLYING BOTTOM STOPS TO ZIPPER TAPES IN ONE OPERATIGN Zenon Wegrzyn, Rochelle Park, N.J., assignor to Zipper Equipment Corp., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 13,600

10 Claims. (Cl. 1--'124) The invention herein disclosed relates to the application of bottom stops to zipper tapes and the general objects of the invention are to accomplish this automatically in a single operation on one machine, as distinguished from present practice requiring two or more operations and handling on separate machines.

Related objects are to accomplish these desirable results with simple, practical and relatively inexpensive apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification there is illustrated one commercial embodiment of the invention but it should be recognized that structure may be modified and changed as regards this illustration all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. l in the drawings is a side elevation of one of the automatic stop applying machines.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine with parts broken away at the right hand side.

Fig. 3 is a broken plan view of the finished product, the connected zipper tapes with teeth removed between adjoining lengths and stops applied for such lengths.

Fig. 4 is a broken plan and part sectional view on substantially the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 2 on a larger scale, showing the connected tapes entering and passing beneath the chopping and riveting dies and leaving the machine with stops attached at the right.

Fig. 5 is a broken cross sectional view on substantially the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing the connected tapes entering the machine. i Fig. 6 is similar cross section on substantially the plane of line 6-6, Fig. 4, showing the tapes leaving the machine with stops attached. This view shows the centering slide in raised position.

Fi 7 is a broken cross sectional view taken on sub- 7 stantially the plane of line 7-7 of Fig. 4 showing the stop rivets being fed beneath the riveting plunger.

Fig. 8 is a broken sectional view on substantially the plane of line 83 of Fig. 4 with the chopper blade and riveting and holding plungers in upper position clear of the tapes.

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the press head lowered with the'chopper blade cutting out a desired length of teeth between sections, the gripper holding the tapes in centered position and the riveting plunger fastening a stop in place.

Fig. 10 is a broken sectional detail on substantially the plane of line 10 plunger down in action.

Fig. 11 is a Similar View as on line 1111 of Fig. 9, showing the holding and centering slide in gripping engagement with the fastener teeth.

Figs. 12 and 13 are broken cross sectional details as on line 1212 of Fig. 8 illustrating action of the punch in severing the teeth from the tapes.

Fig. 3 is referred to first as showing the final product, a pair of tapes 15 originally continuously connected by zipper teeth 16 and having predetermined lengths of the 10 of Fig. 9, showing the riveting head 20.

connected tapes defined by blank portions 17 from which the teeth have been stripped and having bottom stops 18 applied at the ends of the connected sections.

This product may be taken off the machine in continuous lengths ready to be cut apart in the sections of desired length as on the lines 19.

The machine for performing the operations indicated is in the nature of a punch press having a reciprocating head 20, Figs. 1 and 2, operated from a cam shaft 21 and carrying tools for intermittently cutting out short lengths of teeth, applying the stops at the ends of the cut lengths and holding the tapes accurately centered while the stops are being applied.

The shearing tool is shown as a narrow blade 22, Figs. 8 and 9, having a width equal to the'length of teeth to be removed and cooperating with a cutting die 23 on the bed 24 of the machine.

An air blast furnished by tubing 25, Figs. 1, 2 and 4 or other such means may be provided for clearing the cut scrap from the die.

The stops 18 are in the nature or" sharp pronged staples which can be riveted through the adjoining edges of the tapes and these are shown fed from a hopper 26, Fig. 1, down through a guide 27 into a channel 28, directed to a guide passage 29, Fig. 8, adjoining the leading edge of the cutting blade.

At this point the staples are momentarily supported on a finger 39, Fig. 7, ready to be stripped therefrom and driven down through the tapes by a riveting plunger 31.

Adjoining and at the forward side of the riveting plunger there is guided for vertical movement a holding blade 32, having an arched portion 33, Figs. 6 and 11, to reach over the toothed edges and center the tapes accurately in position for the riveting action.

This centering blade 32 is shown normally supported in upper position by a spring 34, Fig. 8, and lowered to grip the tapes just prior to the riveting action by a spring pressed plunger or stud 35, Fig. 9, dependent from the press head.

Fig. 2 shows the connected tapes 15 supplied from a roll 36 at one side of the machine and extending through a guide 37 into position beneath the chopper 22, riveting plunger 31 and centering gripper 32.

Feed of the tapes through the guide passage is effected by continuously rotating'companion feed rolls 38, Fig. 2, operated by motor 39 and momentary stoppage of the tapes for the riveting and cutting is effected by a solenoid operated gripper 40 whi h is energized simultaneously with the punch press by engagement of the bottom stop last secured on the tapes with a microswitch 41 forming part of the clamp structure. This microswitch is placed so as to be clear of the tapes but in position to be actuatedby a bottom stop secured on the tapes. As a result the press and the tape holding clamp will be simultaneously actuated each time one of the stops engages the microswitch.

By adjusting the holding clamp with its microswitch on the supporting rods 42 the machine'may be set to mount the stops on different lengths of zipper tapes.

This clamp only needs to be energized momentarily and at such times the feed rolls may slip slightly without injuring the tapes or otherwise afiecting operation of the machine.

Constructed as disclosed the machine is relatively simple involving in effect the three punches, the chopper 22 for striking'out the fastener elements between ad joining lengths of connected tapes, the stop riveting punch or hammer 31 adjoining the clearing or blanking out punch and the aligning or centering punch 32--35 adjoining the riveting punch, with all three of these punches operating in effect in unison from the same punch These three companion tools are timed so that the tapes will be accurately centered and held so while the fastener elements are being removed and the bottom stops are being clinched or riveted through the edges of the tapes. V

The finished tapes having the'stops applied thereto, as shown'in Fig. 3, may be wound on spools as a continuous product or be cut into sections automatically or by hand as desired.

In starting the machine the tape holding clamp 40 is positioned on the supports 42 a distance from the stop applying punch 31 substantially equal to the length of the finished tapes. Then after feeding in tapes from the supply into the machine past the punches to the feed rolls .the machine may be started by tripping the microswitch by hand to set the first stop. After that the machine will continue in operation, each stop as it reaches the microswitch closing the holding clamp and tripping the press to apply the next stop. This may continue until the end of the supply length of tapes is reached.

Operation In the machine illustrated the zipper connector tapes 15 fed, from a supply roll 36, Fig. 2, are drawn through the machine by slip rolls 38, being stopped and held by the solenoid operated gripper 40 which is energized by engagement of the bottom stop last applied with the microswitch 41 which serves as a trigger b oth to close the clamp and to trip the press.

The press head Zii as shown in Figs. 4, 7, 8, 9, carries A 2. The invention according to claim lin which said 7 means for intermittently feeding zipper tapes includes .a blade 22 which strikes out a portion of the fasteners connecting the tapes leaving a blank unconnected portion as shown at 17, Fig. 3.

In the same movement the spring plunger pushes the spring supported centering clamp 32 down over the connected portion of the tapes in front of the shearing blade, as shown in Figs. Sand 9, and the riveting punch 31 drives the staple 18 which forms the bottom stop down through the held centered tapes, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

The stop forming staples 18 feed automatically from hopper 26, Figs. 1, 4 and 7 down through the guide 27, 23 into position beneath the riveting punch 31, directed by stop 38 into the final guide channel 29.

The shearing mechanism by eliminating fasteners connecting the tapes automatically determines the length of the connected sections of tape so that by adjusting the position of the control switch 41 on supporting rods 42, Fig. 2, the length of said sections can be readily fixed.

Using the stops as they are applied to time the opera,

'tion of the machine has many advantages. The wiring is simple since the one microswitch, positioned to be engaged by the applied stops, may be connected to a relay for both closing the clamp and tripping the press.

What is claimed is:

1. Machine for automatically applying bottom stops to predetermined lengths of zipper connected tapes comprising the combination of a punch for striking out the fastening elements connecting the tapes at points between adjoining lengths of the connected tapes, a'punch for securing bottom stops over longitudinally adjoining edges of the tapes, means for feeding. bottom stops to said securing. punch, said stop securing punch being located in adjoining, relation to said first mentioned punch for striking out the fastening elements, analigning punch adoining said securing punch for holding adjoining edges of the tapes in alignment with said securing punch, com- 1 mon means for actuating said three punches in unison and means for intermittently feeding zipper connected tapes in alignment beneath said three punches.

constantly running feed rolls having a slip engagement with the tapes and an intermittently operated clamp for the tapes controlled by stops applied to the tapes for holding the tapes stationary while being acted on by said punches.

3. The invention accordingto claim 1 in which said tape aligning punch comprises a member arched to engage over the companion fastener elements on opposing edges of t e tapes to thereby exert a centering action on the tapes.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said feeding means includes intermittently acting mechanism controlled by stops applied to the tapes.

5. The invention according to'claim 1 in which said feeding means includes intermittently acting mechanism controlled by stops applied to the tapes embodying a microswitch positioned for actuation by the stops secured on the tapes and connected to control said feeding means.

6. The invention according to claim 1 in which said punches are actuated by a punch press and in which said feeding means includes switch mechanism positioned for actuation by stops applied to the tapes and connected to trip the press each time a stop on the tapes is fed into register with said switch means.

7. Machine for automatically applying bottom stops to predetermined lengths ofzipper connected tapes comprising the combination of a punch press having means for applying bottom stops to zipper connected tapes, means for feeding zipper connected rapes past said bottom stop applying means and a control switch for tripping said press positioned for actuation by bottom stops applied by the machine to said tapes.

8. The invention according to claim 7 with a clamp for holding the tapes, connected to be closed by said switch means.

9. A machine for automatically applying bottom stops to predetermined lengths of zipper connected tapes comprising the combination of means for feeding zipper connected tapes through the machine, means for automatically eliminating a predetermined portion of zippers connecting the tapes at the end of a predetermined length of the zipper connected tapes andmeans for automath cally applying a bottom stop connecting the tapes at the end of each said lengths of zipper connected tapes.

10. A machine for automatically applying bottom stops to predetermined lengths of zipper connected tapes comprising the combination of means for feeding zipper connected tapes through the machine, means for automatically eliminating a predetermined portion of zippers connecting the tapes at the end of a predetermined length References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Price June 3, 1930 Derby Mar. 13, 1956 

